Some therapies use play and other activities to reinforce skills that autistic children often find challenging. Trials show these methods can change a child’s trajectory for the better, but the evidence base remains thin. To refine these early interventions, researchers are searching for their active ingredients and testing them in larger, longer-term studies.
Advancing early interventions for autism
Some therapies use play and other activities to reinforce skills that autistic children often find challenging. Trials show these methods can change a child’s trajectory for the better, but the evidence base remains thin.
By
Emma Bryce
9 February 2021 | 4 min watch
Animation by Lottie Kingslake; script by Emma Bryce
tags:
Recommended reading
Home makeover helps rats better express themselves: Q&A with Raven Hickson and Peter Kind
By
Holly Barker
4 December 2025 | 0 min watch
Genetic profiles separate early, late autism diagnoses
By
Natalia Mesa
27 November 2025 | 5 min read
SHANK3 deficiency and behavior in mice; and more
By
Jill Adams
25 November 2025 | 2 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Psilocybin rewires specific mouse cortical networks in lasting ways
By
Siddhant Pusdekar
5 December 2025 | 0 min watch
Beyond the algorithmic oracle: Rethinking machine learning in behavioral neuroscience
By
Nedah Nemati, Matthew Whiteway
3 December 2025 | 7 min read
Cite this article: